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In this issue, we address difficult but urgent topics, including intimate partner violence, maternal health challenges, and political extremism. We share these stories not to cause harm, but to spark understanding and action. Please read with care. |
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| | Dear Changemakers,
When I sit at the dinner table with my two sons, I see boys who are kind, curious, and eager to make sense of the world around them. But I also know that the world speaking into their lives doesn’t always have their best interests—or the best interests of women—at heart. Their phones light up with algorithms that reward outrage. Their games and online communities sometimes blur the line between entertainment and objectification. And in those spaces, harmful ideas can take root quietly, shaping how boys see themselves and how they learn to see women.
As a mother, that reality weighs on me. But as a leader at Women4Change, it fuels my determination. Because health and wellness aren’t just about doctors’ visits or gym memberships—it’s about the cultural and social environments that either lift women up or wear them down. Our work is about building communities where respect is taught, care is accessible, and violence is not normalized.
This October, I want to share a few urgent issues that intersect with women’s health, wellness, and safety—and how, together, we can turn reflection into collective action.
Yours in Service, Angela Carr Klitzsch CEO, Women4Change Indiana |
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Across the country, a dangerous trend is unfolding: extremist pipelines fueled by AI algorithms, online communities, and gaming culture are pulling adolescent boys into echo chambers of anger and misogyny. These influences don’t just warp perspectives—they normalize violence, dehumanize women, and fracture families.
This is not about blame. It is about responsibility. When hatred becomes entertainment and violence is treated as inevitable, women pay the highest price—in their safety, their dignity, and their freedom.
But women are not powerless. Together, we can disrupt these harmful currents and carve out healthier, safer pathways for the next generation. Learn how to disrupt these narratives on the Women4Change Indiana blog.
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| This year, a Southern Indiana hospital closed its OB clinic, leaving mothers without vital care. For rural families, this can mean driving for hours to appointments, skipping checkups, or facing labor without nearby emergency services. At the same time, Medicaid cuts and fragile rural systems are worsening already dire outcomes—especially for women of color and low-income families.
When systems fail mothers, entire communities suffer. Maternal health isn’t just about delivery—it’s about whether women can complete their education, stay in the workforce, and build stable futures for their families.
That’s why Women4Change is mobilizing around legislation to expand maternal care, including coverage for doulas. As we shared in The Price of Restriction: What Indiana’s Reproductive Health Crisis Is Costing Hoosiers, reproductive restrictions cost Indiana more than $4.25 billion in 2024 alone, pulling nearly 17,000 women out of the workforce.
Access to care is not a side issue—it’s a workforce issue, a community stability issue, and an economic red flag Indiana cannot afford to ignore. Dive into this issue in a recent Women4Change Indiana LinkedIn article. |
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This year, Black women have faced some of the steepest job losses in the nation. In April alone, more than 100,000 Black women lost jobs, and over 300,000 have left the workforce in 2025—a result of layoffs, weakened DEI commitments, and economic instability.
These aren’t just numbers. They represent lost wages, strained families, and communities pushed further into hardship. When Black women are forced out of the workforce, we all lose—our economy weakens, and our communities lose vital leadership and stability.
At Women4Change, we believe that the solution lies in solidarity. By amplifying Black women’s voices, promoting equitable workplace policies, and investing in care and training, we can break harmful cycles and foster communities where all women can thrive. Get engaged with the National Coalition of 100 Black Women’s Indianapolis Chapter and Indianapolis Links. |
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Being a woman today is not easy. It means navigating workplaces that don’t always value our contributions, health systems that too often fail us, and cultural narratives that still question our worth. It means balancing family, career, and community while carrying the weight of inequities that shouldn’t exist in the first place.
But it also means resilience. It means strength, creativity, and the power to demand more—for ourselves and for the generations who follow.
At Women4Change, we know the challenges are real, but so is our commitment. We are here to support women at every stage of life—with advocacy, resources, and community—because no woman should have to face these barriers alone. |
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| | Your donation mobilizes women to engage effectively in civic affairs in order to strengthen our democracy and to advocate for the leadership, health, safety, and dignity of all women in Indiana. Women4Change Indiana is a registered 501(c)3 corporation, and your gifts are tax-deductible. |
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